It Started with a Dance: Gerard Way love story
by MyChemicalDreamer
Summary: My Chemical Romance bandfic featuring Mikey, Frank, Ray, Gerard/OC female. Rated T for language... and a lot of it too. Written in first person past tense.
1. I'm auditioning for what?

RING RING RING!

The obnoxious ringing of my phone woke me up from a wonderful dream, though I forgot it instantly. I picked up the phone and answered sleepily "What the hell do you want, Donny?"

"Whoa, bad day? Anyway, I've got an audition lined up for you today," he replied.

"Way to fucking tell me! When is it?" I asked.

"In an hour, so get your ass out of bed. I'll meet you there," he said, and then gave me the address. Then we hung up.

I'm Veronica, but my friends usually call me Vira or V. I'm 20 years old and I live in Los Angeles. I'm a professional dancer, mostly for music videos and stuff like that, and Donny's my manager. Sometimes I hate him, like right now. It's fucking 9 in the morning and I have an audition in an hour, not to mention that I don't even know what I'm auditioning for. Could be a Britney Spears video, could be a tampon commercial. Whatever. I got dressed in what I would usually wear to an audition.

I didn't bother to have breakfast; I just bolted out the door. It took me a while to find the place I was supposed to be, but I eventually got there. I saw Donny's car in the parking lot and parked 2 spaces away. I was 10 minutes early, so I took my time going into the building.

I walked into a big lobby with a check-in table by the entrance. I went over to it. "Name please," the lady who was sitting behind it said.

"Veronica Chadsworth," I replied. The lady wrote something down on a piece of paper and then handed me a number card and a safety pin.

"Good luck," she said, not looking at me.

"Thanks," I replied, pinning the number to my sweatshirt. There was a doorway to the left so I walked in and found myself in a gigantic theater.

There were a few other dancers sitting in the first rows and three people sitting at a table in front of the stage, obviously the judges. Donny was talking to one of them. I walked over.

"Hey," I said.

"Oh hi V. Denise, this is my client, Veronica. Veronica, this is Denise. She's one of the judges today and also a good friend of mine," said Donny.

"That's cool, but you still haven't told me what I'm auditioning for," I said.

"Oh yeah, it's some music video for a band called... um... Denise what are they called again?" Donny said.

"My Chemical Romance," Denise said. My head almost exploded.

"What? Oh my god I love them!" I practically screamed, "What song is it for?"

Denise looked through some papers and then replied, "Um... Sing." It just so happens that was my favorite song at the moment. I tried to keep my fangirlingness to a minimum, though.

"Um... is the band going to be here?" I asked hopefully.

"Yeah," Denise said, looking at her watch, "Actually they were supposed to be here 15 minutes ago..." Just then, they walked in. I wouldn't have been surprised if a chorus of angels started singing. They waved to the judges and then sat in the back row of the theater.I went and sat with the other dancers.

"I can't believe I'm in the same room as Gerard Way!" I squealed to one of them.

"Who?" they all said, almost in unison. I couldn't believe it. How could they not know who Gerard Way is? After all, they ARE auditioning for a My Chem music video. I was about to explain when one of the judges stood up and started talking to us.

"Good morning, ladies. Welcome to the audition. As you know, you were supposed to have a one minute dance prepared for us. First will be number 1, Angela Lockhart," she said. I started freaking out. I want this part more than anything and I don't have a dance or any music. Donny must have seen my dismay, because he texted me.

The text said "dont flip out. i have the music from the lady gaga audition u can just do that dance."

I texted back "ok thx for fuckin telling me in advance so i could actually practice it! (much sarcasm intended)" He gave me a dirty look from across the room and we went back to watching the other dancers. Well, at least he was watching. I was trying to inconspicuously stare at Gerard. He caught me a few times, and smiled. I smiled back, blushed, and looked away.

Before I knew it, the judge was saying "Number 9, Veronica Chadsworth." I grabbed my CD from Donny as I walked up to the stage. I gave it to the judge and she put it in the CD player that was on the table, waited for me to get ready, and hit play.

The moves came back to me instantaneously, and I danced my heart out with a rush of adrenaline. I didn't even think about Gerard or the judges, just how bad I wanted this part.

When I was done, I walked off the stage with a smile on my face. I heard someone clapping and looked back at the judges, but it wasn't them. It wasn't Donny either. It was Gerard, giving me a one man standing ovation. Then Frank stood up and started clapping too, then Mikey, then Bob, then Ray. I almost fainted. They hadn't done that for any of the other dancers. The judges pretended not to notice, though they were all smiling. "Okay, let's get to the tumbling portion of the tryout," said Denise. Great. Another thing Donny didn't tell me about. Good thing I've been a gymnast and cheerleader since like second grade.

Two men rolled out a cheer mat onto the stage. The judges called out number 1's name and she walked up to the edge of the mat. She only did a round off back tuck; actually I thonk most of the girls did that, but I couldn't be sure because I was staring at Gerard again. He mouthed "Good job" to me and I mouthed back "Thanks". Then he smiled his amazing smile, which made me blush. Then the judges called my name. I walked up to the edge of the mat and did a round off double flip flop to full. My hat fell off but I stuck the landing. Yay! I picked up my hat and looked at Gerard as I walked back to my seat and he winked, which made me blush AGAIN.

Well that's it for chapter 1! Read chapter 2 to know if she got the part!


	2. I'm sorry, what?

The judges talked for less than a minute and then Denise stood up and said "Veronica Chadsworth, you got the part."

I jumped up and down with excitement and the other dancers stood up and hugged me. They all said things like "Nice job" and "Way to go". None of them even seemed like they wanted the part at all. One by one they left and so did the judges, and Denise was talking to Donny. I was about to go over there too, but then someone came up behind me.

I turned around. It was Gerard. "Hey," he said, "You did a great job!"

"Thanks," I said, "I just can't believe I get to work with you!"

He laughed. "Most of our dancers don't feel that way. A lot of them haven't even heard of MCR, and they're really stuck up. You don't seem like that," Gerard said.

"Thanks, that means a lot coming from you," I replied.

"Well... um... I was kinda wondering if you would like to go out sometime...?" he said. OH MY FUCKING GOD did Gerard Way just ask me out? Okay, relax, breathe, don't look like a weirdo.

"Sure," I said as calmly as possible. Oh god I probably look like a retard. I'm probably all sweaty from dancing and I probably smell...

"Great!" he said. He was like a happy little kid. "How about a movie tonight at 7?" he asked.

"Sounds great," I said.

"Cool... can I have your phone number?" he asked.

"Okay, gimme your phone," I said. He handed his phone to me (a Blackberry... soo jealous) and I took a pic of myself and added myself as a contact with a smiley face next to my name. I gave it back and handed him my phone, and he did the same.

"Well, I gotta go. Text me your address!" he said as he walked away.

"Okay," I said, too quiet for him to hear.

I walked out to the parking lot and got in my car. As soon as I was inside, I texted Gerard my I texted Michelle "bet u cant guess where im going 2nite"

Michelle is my best friend. I usually call her Mic or M. We met all the way back in elementary school. We were in the same fourth grade class, even though she's a year older than me, because I skipped a grade. We had both graduated from California State last year. She lives in a house in Los Angeles with her boyfriend. She is obsessed with My Chemical Romance almost as much as I am.

"hmm idk where" she texted back.

"ur not gonna believe this... im goin out w/ gerard way!" I replied.

"no fuckin way" she texted back. I told her the whole story in a 6 page text message.

"omfg thats AWESOME! u have 2 send me a pic" she replied.

"i will. its not til 7 tho. oh and dont tweet or post a status about it... i wanna keep it private 4 now" I texted back.

"ok gtg" she replied.

"bye" I texted back. I drove home listening my My Chem CD's, still not believing that what jut happened was true. I'M GOING ON A DATE WITH GERARD WAY IN 8 HOURS!

That's all for chapter 2! Read chapter 3 for the date!


	3. Scream

I ran up the stairs to my apartment, already nervous as hell. I had no idea what to wear on my date. Sure, it was only the movies, but still, it was with Gerard Way. He would probably be wearing the same thing I saw him in earlier. I finally decided to get over it and, in the spirit of being a total kiss-up, I threw on a My Chem t-shirt.

I still had, like, 7 hours until Gerard was supposed to show up so I spent most of that time online, Google searching My Chemical Romance (to find out as much as I could that I didn't already know about them, so maybe I could impress Gee with my knowledge later). Most of the stuff I knew already, but I did find out a few new things, like:

- two video games have been created involving them, Helena and The End

- Gerard was an animator before he joined the band

- the name of the band came from Irvine Welsh's book, "Three Tales of Chemical Romance"

Before I knew it, it was 6:25 and I went over to my window and stared outside until I saw Gerard's car pull up at 6:32 (2 minutes late). I dashed downstairs as fast as I could and walk-ran over to the car, not wanting to seem too anxious. Then, it occured to me.

What if this isn't real? Not in the sense that it's a dream, but what if Gerard thinks I'm a total creep for staring at him at the audition? What if this whole thing was a dare from Frank? (I had seen those two whispering...) But Gerard had given me his phone number, he couldn't have faked he had seemed genuinely happy when I said yes...

I decided to base wether this was real or not on how he acted on the date. I opened the car door and got in gracefully. "Hi," I said sheepishly.

A smile lit up his face. "Hey," he said cheerfully as he reached over to hug me. He was warm, even though the black leather of his jacket was cold. I want so much to believe that this means something...

I felt oddly comfortable with him, like I had known him for a long time. Gerard put the car in drive and we went on our way. "So... I never really asked you what movie you wanted to see..." he said.

I wanted to say "It doesn't matter as long as I"m with you" but instead I said, "Are there any good horror movies out?"

He smiled and said, "I was hoping you would say that. Um... I think Scream 4 is playing."

"Oh, cool. I've been wanting to see that for a while," I said truthfully.

Then, out of the blue, he asked, "What kind of music do you like?"

"Well, My Chemical Romance (obviously), Queen, Green Day, The Misfits, Iron Maiden, AC/DC, H.I.M., Yellowcard, The Doors, Cage the Elephant... alternative bands like that. What about you?" I said.

"Actually, you just named most of my favorite bands," he said. He quickly rifled through some CDs and popped an Iron Maiden one into the CD player. One of my favorite songs came on, and I started singing along quietly. Then Gerard joined in, louder. Soon, we were both singing at the top of our lungs. We knew every word. When the song ended, we both burst out laughing. It was amazing how alike we were.

We arrived at the theater a minute later. We walked inside and got in line. "Shit! I forgot my wallet!" I said, searching my purse.

"It's fine," Gerard replied, "I was going to insist on paying for you anyway."

"That doesn't mean I would have let you..." I said. He laughed and put his arm around me. I had no choice but to suck it up and let him pay for my ticket.

We walked into the theater and Gerard led me toward the back. We sat in the third-from-last row and he put his arm around me again. I moved closer to him.

Here's the thing about horror movies: I love them, but sometimes they scare the shit out of me. During the bloody scenes, I buried my face in Gerard's chest and he held me close. At some points, I was practically sitting on his lap. I was close enough to hear his heart beating, and from the sound of it, the movie didn't seem to scare him at all. I felt like a little kid. I was sure he would make fun of me for being so scared, but he didn't.

Before I knew it the credits were rolling. "Pretty gruesome, huh?" Gerard said.

"Yeah..." I replied timidly. The look on his face suddenly turned serious and...

Haha cliffhanger! Read chapter 4 to know what happens next.


	4. Mikeyyy

...he leaned in and kissed me. I was dumbfounded, but I didn't hesitate to kiss him back. It felt real. I know this is genuine now...

The kiss ended too soon. "All better now," I said. He laughed.

We held hands all the way out of the theater and into his car (where he opened the door for me). We got in, but he didn't start the car. Instead, he asked, "How big of a My Chemical Romance fan would you say you are?"

"Imagine your biggest fan, multiply fangirl capacity by 5,000, and then you have me," I said. Gerard smiled.

"Would you like to meet the rest of the band then?" he asked.

"Two words: HELL YES." I replied. He laughed.

"I think the bus is still parked by the theater you went to this morning. The guys are all probably inside, being lazy and playing video games," Gerard said, starting the car.

"What kind of games do you guys like?" I asked.

"Well, I don't like video games much, but the rest of them like Modern Warfare, Call of Duty, and Zelda. Mikey's fuckin' obsessed with them. What games do you like?" he said.

"You'll laugh at me if I tell you," I replied.

"No I won't. I promise," he said. He gave me that you-have-to-tell-me look.

"Okay fine. I like the original Mario Kart racing game," I said. Gerard laughed. "Hey, you promised you wouldn't laugh!"

"It's not because of that, though, it's because I like that game, too," he replied, "Whenever the guys make me play, I always insist on that one."

"Is it because you win all the time?" I asked.

"No, I actually don't win that often," he replied.

"It's okay, I don't either," I said. Just then, we pulled up next to the bus. It had the MCRmy logo on the side. We got out of the car and onto the bus. Gerard led me to the back, where Mikey was sitting on the couch playing some video game. It was only a two-person couch and Gerard sat down next to Mikey, so I stood awkwardly off to the side. Gee grabbed me around the waist and pulled me onto his lap.

"Mikey, where the fuck are your manners?" Gerard asked, "You're not even gonna say hi to Veronica?" Mikey paused his game.

"Hey, you're the dancer from earlier!" Mikey exclaimed, "Gerard wouldn't stop talking about you during the entire audition." I blushed.

"Shut up, Mikey!" said Gerard. He blushed too. "Well, in the spirit of changing the subject, we're gonna start filming the music video tomorrow."

"What? Tomorrow? How come nobody fucking told me?" I asked.

"I'm sure your manager would've texted you," Gerard said, "But anyway, we're only doing the car chase scene."

"Oh, good, then I don't even need to be there," I said.

"Actually, you do. You know how in Na Na Na, the whole video was basically centered around the kid?" Gerard said.

"Yeah," I replied.

"We were going for the same kind of thing in this video, except instead of the kid, we have you, the graceful damsel in distress," Gerard said. Oh shit. Tomorrow's going to be a long day.

That's it, folks! Read chapter 5 to hear about the video shoot!


	5. That wasn't supposed to happen

"...Meh," I replied.

"Don't worry, there's a dancing scene later," Gee said.

"Where do I have to go and what time do I have to be there?" I asked.

"I'll pick you up at 8 AM tomorrow," he replied.

"Well then, I'd better get home and get some sleep," I said. I stood up and he did the same and held my hand. We got off the bus and into his car. I fell asleep on the ride to my apartment.

The next thing I heard was "Psst. Veronica. Wake up." It was Gerard. I slowly opened my eyes to find that I was in his arms, in the hallway right outside my apartment. He put me down slowly. "I would've brought you inside but it was locked."

"That's okay. And thanks," I said, "I'll see you tomorrow."

"Bye," he replied. He kissed me on the cheek and walked away. I fumbled through my purse for my key and once I was inside, I went right to bed, not even bothering to change my clothes.

I woke up the next morning to someone knocking on my front door. I looked at my alarm clock and it said 8:05. Oh shit. I had forgotten to set it last night. Of course, it was Gerard at the door. I let him in and told him to make himself comfortable in the living room while I got ready. I figured they would be giving me a costume and doing my makeup when I got there, so I just threw on the first clothes I saw and ran out to the car with Gerard. "Oh god, I'm sorry," I said to him.

"It's my fault; I got you home too late yesterday," he replied. I knew it wasn't true but I didn't bother to argue. If any police officers had seen the way Gerard drove that day, they would've taken his license away on the spot. I was grateful, though, because he managed to get us there in only 20 minutes.

Nobody on set said a word to me, they just pulled me to the wardrobe trailer. One woman was handing me clothes while another was brushing some kind of powdery shit on my face while yet another was pulling a comb through my hair. Then they finally let me out of the trailer. Gerard was waiting outside and he grabbed my hand and pulled me to a red Ferrari. It was only now that I realized where we were, a desolate desert road.

I got in the passenger seat of the car, Gee got in the driver's seat, and Mikey, Ray, and Frank were already in the back. "We just have to do a couple takes of the skid first and then we can do the actual high-speed chase part," Gerard said excitedly.

Someone said "Action!" and Gerard started driving. So did the white Ferrari behind us. I guessed that they were supposed to represent BL/ind. We drove about a hundred yards and then someone waved a green flag, and Gerard stepped on the brake and turned the wheel. The car skidded sideways about 20 feet.

"That was so cool!" I said.

"It'll be even better in the next take," Gerard said, backing up the car to its original place. We started just like last time, only something went horribly wrong. The other driver hit the brake too late, causing the other car to spin into us. It hit the front passenger side and our car flipped once, then twice, then... well I don't really know because I blacked out after that.

Do they all die? Find out in chapter 6!


	6. Am I dead?

Is it possible to be in a state between conscious and unconscious? If it is, that's what I was in. It was like being paralyzed. The car stopped, upside-down. I heard lots of voices around me. I recognized those of everyone who had been in the car with me. I heard glass breaking. They were crawling out of the car through the windows. Then everything cut off. I was completely gone.

Then warm hands on me, pulling me out of the car. Two sets of hands. Then one person holding me, running somewhere, to nowhere. It took every bit of energy I could muster to open my eyes for only a split second. All I saw was the face of the person. Either Mikey or Gerard. They look so much alike...

Then something hard under me. Damn, I'm on a stretcher. I wouldn't need it if only I could move...

A sharp pain in my wrist. I must be in the ambulance now, because it's an IV. Probably a blood transfusion. I want vicodin...

Whatever meds they gave me woke me up right away. My vision was a little blurred, but at least I could open my eyes. I saw Mikey and Frank standing over me. "Wait, how come I'm the only one who got hurt this bad?" I asked them.

"Well, the other car did hit right where you were sitting, for starters," said Mikey.

"And you're kinda small and fragile, no offense," Frank added. It was true. I was 5'4" and naturally thin.

"So what the hell did they say is wrong with me?" I asked.

"You have a pretty severe concussion and a few cuts, and you lost a lot of blood," Mikey said.

"Oh, that's why they gave me the meds to wake me up!" I exclaimed, finally understanding.

"And they said you'll be out of the hospital in a few hours; they just need to finish the transfusion and give you a prescription," Mikey added. Then something occured to me.

"Where's Gerard?" I asked, alarmed.

"Don't worry, he's fine. Just a few cuts, like us. He's in another ambulance with Ray," Frank said. Oh... so it WAS Mikey carrying me before! I thought it was Gerard... Then someone opened the door. We were at the hospital.

Hospitals= funny smells, being a pin-cushion, blood in bags, pain, pills in bottles, lots of waiting, boredom.

That's exactly what my experience was like. They stopped giving me the wake-up meds, and I fell asleep. A dreamless sleep.

I woke up alone, but I could hear Gerard in the hallway talking to a doctor. Gee walked in a minute later and, seeing that my eyes were open, ran over to me. "Hi!" he said.

"Hey," I said sleepily, "You okay?"

"I should be asking you that!" he replied, "But yeah, I'm fine."

"And this is the part when you tell me you're not putting the video on hold for me and I'm fired," I said sadly.

"Hell no!" he exclaimed, "I care about you too much. We'll delay the video as long as we need to, I just want you to be in it."

Aww how cute! Read chapter 7 to see what happens next!


	7. Awk

"As a friend, I can't let you do that," I said, "You're not stopping the video just because of me. I'll even help you find someone else is you want."

"V, it's only a few days. We would've had to stop anyway because we totaled the cars," Gerard is the first time he's ever called me V... I don't know how to respond. "We all care about you, and, I love you, Veronica. I don't know if this is the right time to ask you this 'cause you might still be a little high, but I'll ask anyway. Will you be my girlfriend?"

"I'm not high, and yes," I replied. He hugged me, being careful to avoid my IV line. Then Frank walked in from the hallway.

He had obviously been spying the whole time, because he made a heart with his fingers and started singing "Gerard and Veronica sittin' in a tree, K-I-S-S-ow, Gerard!" That was the point when Gee had grabbed the Kleenex box off my bedside table and thrown it at Frank. I laughed.

"That's what you get for being an asshole," Gerard said to Frank, who then flipped Gee off.

"But seriously, you guys are really cute together," said Frank.

"Hey Frank, can you go get Mikey?" I asked.

"Uh... sure?" he said, walking away.

"Nice job getting rid of him," said Gerard.

"It wasn't really meant to just get rid of him; I do need to talk to Mikey," I replied.

"How come?" he asked.

"Well to thank him for pulling me out of an upside-down car, for starters," I said.

"Hey, I helped too! But then he just grabbed you and ran," Gerard replied.

"Well then thank you, too," I said. He leaned in and kissed me. Mikey and Frank happened to walk in mid-kiss. Mikey turned around and walked out, but Frank said, "Get your ass back in here, you idiot!" Gerard pulled away when Mikey returned.

"Come here," I said to Mikey. He did and I sat up and hugged him. He let his arms dangle awkwardly at first, but then he hugged me back. "Thank you. I would've done the same for you." he pulled back and started laughing. "What?"

"The fact that you think you would be able to," he said, still laughing.

"Yeah, well, shut up," I said defensively.

"In other news," Gerard cut in, "I took a picture of the car after Mikey stole you."

"Cool! Can I see?" I said.

"Sure," he said, pulling out his phone and showing me the pic.

"Damn..." I said. Just then, a doctor walked in.

"Chadsworth, Veronica. I have your discharge papers and your prescription," he said, handing me a paper and a bottle of pills.

"Are these vicodin?" I asked.

"I believe so," the doctor replied. YESS! He removed the IV from my arm and Gee helped me down from the surprisingly high bed. We walked out to Gerard's car in the parking garage; I had no idea who had driven it here. He and I got in and the rest of the guys kept walking to someone else's car.

"I have to tell you something," Gerard said...

Haha another cliffhanger! Read chapter 8 for Gee's news!


	8. Again? Seriously?

"The thing is, we're going on tour next week..." said Gerard. He looked sad. I hugged him.

"Don't be sad, that's great. I'll miss you," I replied.

"That's just it, V," he said, "I can't go without you. Will you come with us?"

"That's kind of a big decision for me to make right now," I said, "Can I have some time to think?"

"Of course," he said. The ride to my apartment was virtually silent. I felt bad, but after all, it was HUGE decision. About 10 minutes after I got home, Michelle called me. She was in tears. And she almost never cries.

"Oh my god, what happened Mic?" I asked.

"My boyfriend... he beat me... burned me... bruises... it hurts... help," she said, stuttering. Then the line went dead. I immediately called 911 and gave the operator Mic's address. Then I got in my car and drove over as fast as I could. The police car and ambulance were already outside her house. Two policemen were pulling Aaron (the boyfriend) out the door and into the car. Then I saw a paramedic walking with Michelle, who was still crying, out of the house. I ran over to her. They said I could go with her in the ambulance so I did, and she told me the whole story. The beatings had been going on for over a year, but they had never been as bad as this. I asked her why she never told me. "He would've killed me." It was then that I knew I couldn't go with Gerard. i couldn't possibly have funtouring the country with him knowing I had left my best friendbehind at a time like this.

At the hospital (for my second time that day), I excused myself from her room for a moment and called Gerard on my cell phone. While it was ringing, a nurse came by and told me I wasn't allowed to use my phone in the hospital. I flipped her off and she gave me a dirty look and kept walking. Gerard finally picked up. "Hey, V," he said.

I sighed and said, "I've made my decision."

Sorry it was so short! Be sure to read chapter 9!


	9. I can't

"Well what are you waiting for? Tell me!" he said. I could tell he was smiling. He thinks I'm going to say yes...

"I'm sorry," I said, silent tears running down my face. I guess they weren't as silent as I thought..

"What's wrong?" he asked. I told him the whole story about Michelle.

"I can't leave her behind at a time like this," I said.

"It's okay, I understand. I wouldn't want to either," he replied, "But we're not leaving until Sunday, so if you change your mind..."

"I'll call you," I said.

"Okay. Well I gotta go," he replied.

"Bye," I said. We hung up and I felt worse than ever. My boyfriend is going on tour in 4 days and I have to choose between him and my best friend. It looked like I was going to choose Mic, but I was starting to have second thoughts...

Aww poor Vera! Read chapter 10!


	10. Whether you like it or not

I walked back into M's room. She could tell by the look on my face that something was wrong. She asked about it. I sighed. "What would you say if I told you that Gerard invited me to go on tour with him, but I said no because I don't want to leave you in your time of need?" I asked.

"I would say what the fuck is wrong with you!" she replied, "You can't miss an opportunity like this because of me. Look, I'll get better. You'll be back soon and we can text every single day that you're gone. If you don't go, you';; regret it for the rest of your life."

"You promise you won't get mad?" I asked.

"Do you really think if I just said all that, I would get mad?" she countered, "Now go call him and tell him you're going!"

"But-" I started.

"Go!" she said, smiling. I smiled back as I walked out to the hallway. I called Gerard again. He picked up on the first ring.

"I have great news!" we said in unison, "You first! No... wait... shit! Are you doing that on purpose?"

"Okay, you go first," he said, laughing.

"I told Michelle the whole thing and she said she won't get mad if I go!" I exclaimed.

"My news is even better," Gerard bragged.

"Then tell me already!" I said.

"I asked the guys and they said Michelle can come too if you want," he replied.

"That's awesome! We'll definately come," I said.

"Aren't you even going to ask her first?" Gee asked.

"Actually I'm with her right now- you ask her!" I exclaimed. I ran back into the room and handed the phone to Michelle before Gerard could protest. He explained the whole thing to her.

"So will you go?" he asked.

"FUCK YES!" she exclaimed. She handed the phone back to me and started squealing.

"Meet us at the Hyatt hotel at 5 AM on Sunday," Gerard said, and he gave me the address and his room number.

"We'll be there," I said. We hung up. For the next couple hours, we gushed about how much fun it was going to be, what we would bring, etc. Then a doctor came in with her discharge papers. We took the bus to her house (my car was still over there) and I helped her pack. Then we drove to my house and did the same. We were both bringing way too much stuff. While we were choosing our outfits for Sunday, Michelle's phone rang. It was the police department. Aaron had confessed to everything and he was going to prison. They were also granting her a temporary restraining order. It was really late by the time they had settled all the details over the phone, so I just let Mic sleep over at my house. That night, I dreamed about touring with Gerard. My Gerard.

This sounds like an ending, but it's just the beginning! Read chapter 11!


	11. Attack of da Fangirls!

Gerard and I saw each other every day for the next 3 days. It was now Sunday and 4:30 AM. Michelle was already at my house. We had just finished getting ready and we were getting into my car. I had mapquest-ed directions to the hotel. I was so excited that I could barely concentrate on driving. When we finally arrived, Mic and I went up to the front desk. "Excuse me?" I said to the employee, "Where's room 2100?"

"I'm sorry, we have some celebrities staying there and we were specifically told not to give any fans the location," he replied.

"Well I'm not a fan, you idiot, I'm Gerard Way's god damned girlfriend," I replied coldly.

"Like I haven't heard that one before," he said, rolling his eyes.

"Fine, I'll fucking call him and he'll tell you," I said.

"Sure you will. You'll just call one of your friends and have them fake for you," he replied.

"Then call his room yourself. Ask him if he's expecting Veronica and Michelle," I said.

"How can I be sure that you two are Veronica and Michelle?" he asked. We both took our drivers' licenses out of our wallets and threw them on the counter.

"Here are our fucking IDs! Now call him!" I said.

"PMS..." he muttered under his breath as he dialed the number. I heard Gerard's voice on the other line. He got angry when the employee said he thought we were just fans. I heard him swearing. It was hard not to smile. The employee hung up and immediately apologized, and them personally escorted us to Gerard's room. The presidential suite. Of course.

We knocked on the door. Gerard opened it immediately and pulled me into a kiss. Michelle just rolled here eyes and walked past us into the room. I pulled back. "Hi," I said.

"Hey," he replied, leading me into the room. It was the biggest hotel room I'd ever seen. There were 5 king size beds lined up along one wall, a full kitchen, a balcony, and a hot tub on the other side. I stopped and stared in awe. Gee laughed. "You like it?" I nodded, still unable to speak.

Mikey walked out of the bathroom wearing only jeans; his hair was soaking wet. "Oh hey Veronica," he said.

"Hi," I said, sort of awkwardly. Gerard picked up a sjirt off the floor and threw it at Mikey. It hit him in the face. He flipped Gerard off, threw it back, and went to get his own.

"Guys, hurry the fuck up! We're already late," said Gee. They finished shoving everything into their suitcases and hurried out the door. Mic and I already had all our stuff, and so did Gerard. We followed them out. Of course, Gerard insisted on carrying my suitcase for me (Ray carried Michelle's).

In the lobby, we heard a girl scream, "Oh my god it's My Chemical Romance!" Wer turned around and saw 3 girls who looked to be about 16 years old running toward us. Well not us... just the guys. "Oh my gosh hi!" "Can I have your autograph?" "Can we get a pic?" "I wanna have your babies!" These girls were fucking insane. They forced Gerard and I apart and asked me to take a picture of them, handing me a camera. I did, but I wasn't happy about it. I think they could tell, because they gave me a dirty look. I wasn't paying attention to their conversation with Gerard, but i could tell they were trying to drag it out as much as possible. I think one of them even tried to kiss him, but he dodged. I stifled my laughter.

After a few minutes, he told them we had to leave, but they followed us all the way to the bus. It didn't even phase them when Gerard held my hand. We got on the bus, late because of them, but at least they couldn't follow us anymore. Gerard could sense my animosity. "If you thought that was annoying, wait until you get to the concert. It's literally a hundred times worse," he said. I sighed. "Don't worry, it won;t make me like you any less."

"I know, but... nevermind," I replied.

"No, you can tell me," he said.

"It's just... I'm not usually the jealous type, but you have so many fangirls, and so many of them are prettier than me, easier than me... I can't help but be just a little jealous," I replied.

"It's okay. I can assure you that no girl on earth is prettier than you, and I don;t want a whore, I want someone with class, like you," he said. I smiled.

Cuteness :3 Read chapter 12!


	12. This is what happens on the bus

"So where exactly are we going?" I asked.

"Um... Denver, Colorado," Gerard replied.

"How long will that take..." I asked, calculating in my head, "...15 hours?"

"Around that, yeah," he said.

"Ugh, I'm soo tired," I said.

"Me too," he replied, "Wanna go lay down?"

"Yeah," I said. He led me to a little hallway with four bunks mounted on the walls. The top right side one was his. There was a tattered X-Men blanked on it. He climbed into the bunk and pulled me up after him; I was surprised at how strong he was, seeing as he had pulled me up with only one arm, and that I had exerted no effort whatsoever into helping him (it sort of took me by surprise). We're so close together... I fell asleep, dreaming of the concert.

I woke up alone, not sure where I was for a second. Then I remembered. He's not here anymore...

I climbed out of the bed, forgetting that I was in the top bunk and nearly falling on my face. I caught my balance and walked into the back room where Gerard was sitting on the couch with Frank and watching Mikey, who was sitting on the floor between Ray and Michelle, playing some video game. "Hey," Gee said.

"Hi. What time is it?" I asked, sleepily.

"2. We'll be in Denver in 6 hours and the show starts at 8:30," he replied, "So we've got a good 2 hours to waste before we have to start really getting ready."

"Cool," I said, walking over and sitting on the floor in front of him. He reached down and wrapped his arms around me, pulling me up onto his lap. I looked at him like he was a madman, and he smiled and shrugged. I smiled and leaned into him, resting my head on his chest and looking up at him.

We watched Mikey for a little while and then he said, "I'm tired of playing, anyone else want to?" Gerard jumped up, nearly throwing me to the floor, and grabbed the controller from his brother. He popped the current game out of the Playstation and put in Mario Kart, handing me the second controller. I was surprised that he remembered it was my favorite game, and I didn't object. All the guys and Michelle ended up cheering for me, and I won, by a lot.

"I totally kicked your ass!" I exclaimed.

"Yeah, yeah, whatever," he replied. Everyone laughed. Gerard checked the time on his phone and, realizing that it was 4:30, turned off the Playstation. "Okay guys it's time to get ready." Everyone got up and walked to various places to get necessary things. Mikey plugged in a flat iron and started straightening his hair; Frank was sitting next to him waiting for him to be done so he could use it next. Ray was rummaging through his suitcase, trying to decide what to wear, and Michelle was looking for her makeup bag. I went and got my eyeliner from my bag and started putting it on, not needing a mirror. I did all my makeup, which wasn't a lot considering I don't like it much, without a mirror and in under 10 minutes. Gerard walked over to me. "Damn, you're really good at that. Can you do mine?" I laughed a little, at the fact that he's so open about admitting he wears makeup.

"Sure, what do you want, just eyeliner?" I asked.

"Actually, do you know how to make fake cuts?" he asked.

"Um... that was an odd question," I replied, "But yeah. My friends always made me do theirs for Halloween."

"You mean Ieroween!" Frank chimed in. Gee and I laughed. He had me make a long red scar down his cheek (mostly with red eye shadow and a few touches of mascara here and there) and that took 45 minutes. I must say, it looked disturbingly realistic considering what lack of resources I had. And of course when the other guys saw what I had done for Gee, they all wanted the same. Ray and Mikey wanted it on their faces, and Frank wanted one on each wrist. I did everyone's as carefully as possible, therefore finishing at around 7:30. "Shit!" I exclaimed.

"What's wrong?" asked Gerard.

"We only have like an hour until the show and I didn't straighten my hair!" I said, freaking out.

"No problem, I'll do it for you. And I have a really good flat iron so it won't take that long," said Mikey. grabbing my arm and pulling me over to where it was plugged in. He instructed me to sit, so I did, and he was finished in a matter of half an hour.

"Damn, that is a good flat iron!" I said, "What brand is it?"

"It's a Conair Infinity," Mikey said.

"Where'd you get it?" I asked.

"Online, I think. But it was like 250 dollars," he replied.

"Shit..." I said, "If it was under 100 I would probably buy my own."

He laughed. "At least I have an idea of what to get you for your birthday now!" he replied. I didn't have time to protest; we had to go get changed because the show started in half an hour. It took us a good 20 minutes to pick out our outfits (aren't we such procrastinators?) and then me and Michelle changed in the bedroom and the guys changed in the back room.

Before we knew it, the stage manager popped in and told us it was almost showtime. I hadn't even been aware that the bus was stopped or that we were in the concert hall's back parking lot. We got off the bus and went backstage. Someone called 30 seconds to showtime.

Gerard came up to me and asked, "What's your absolute favorite MCR song ever?"

"Hmm... probably Teenagers," I replied.

"And do you know all the words?" he followed up.

"Yeah... what the hell is this about?" I replied.

"Oh, nothing. Just curious," he said. I was pretty sure I knew what he was up to.

Soon enough, it was time for them to go on and me and Michelle went down to our seats, the middle two in the first row (Gerard had had to make some calls to get those). The guys walked onstage and the crowd started going crazy. Michelle and I laughed, then played along, pretending we were just two more screaming fans. We both sang every word to every song. When the concert was winding down, it happened. Gerard said, "Since this is our last song tonight, I figure I'd make it special." The crowd interrupted him with cheers. "Someone very important to me is here today," he went on, "and I would like to invite her onstage to sing with me." Fuck.

Read chapter 13! So long and goodnight! (sorry Helena reference!)


	13. I suck at everything

"Veronica, If you please, would you like to accompany me?" I flipped Gerard off but stood up anyway and started walking toward the stairs. "Don't bother going that way." He reached down, still holding the microphone in his other hand, and I grabbed his hand with both of mine. He pulled me up to the stage. Again, his strength amazed me.

"You know, you're not very good at surprises," I said.

"I didn't have time to think of a less obvious approach," he replied. We smiled at each other. He kissed me on the cheek.

'Uh, guys," said Mikey, "If you don't mind, we'd like to start the music now." I knew he didn't mean it in an unkind way.

"Go for it," I replied, smiling. Mikey signaled to the guys and they started playing the intro to Teenagers. Gerard held uo the microphone between us and I put my hands on top of his. I tried to focus solely on him and not the thousands of people staring at me. I started out sort of quietly but then got into it more and more as the song went on. By the ending, the words were flowing freely out of me without even needing to think about them and I was just as energetic as Gee. The crowd cheered and I smiled. So did he.

"THAT'S IT, FUCKERS! HOPE YOU ALL HAD A GREAT TIME!" he yelled into the microphone. He put it back on the stand, put his arm around me and led me backstage. I looked at Michelle and motioned for her to come too. She went around the other way and met us there.

"I loved the pyro in the beginning," I said to Gee.

"Try being two feet away from it and almost catching on fire, and then you'll be entitled to say you love it," said Frank.

"Yeah, I saw that," I said, "It was during Black Parade, right?"

"Yeah," he replied, a childish look on his face. We started walking back to the bus. I was surprised at what a good job security did at keeping the fans away from us. Gerard and I were holding hands.

Suddenly I heard Frank scream, "WAAAAA!" and then I felt a weight on my back, pushing me to the ground. It was Frank. He sat up, laughing.

"Frank, I don't care if you do that to me or the guys, but don't do it to Veronica," Gee said, helping me up.

"Gee, I'm not as fragile as you think," I replied.

"Yeah you are," he said, laughing, "You and Frank are the same height but he probably weighs at least 50 pounds more than you."

"Hey! Is that a fat joke?" Frank asked, still sitting on the ground. We all laughed. Gee put out his hand to help Frank up, but Frank pulled him down and pinned him. They started jokingly wrestling.

"FRERARD MOMENT!" Ray yelled. They both got up quickly, their faces turning red.

"Oh shut up..." said Gerard. We got on the bus and everyone but Gerard and I immediately went to play video games. He and I sat down at the table in the kitchen. "I feel like drawing."

"Me too," I replied. He got up and went somewhere, then came back with a notebook and two pencils. He gave me one, and then tore out a few sheets of paper for me. I started off with the intention of drawing an anime version of Gerard, but then I changed the focus to realistic. I started with the lineart, and when I was satisfied with that, I started shading.

I was only done with half his face when he looked over at it, did a double-take, and then said "Damn!"

"I know it's shitty; you don't have to rub it in," I said.

"Are you fuckin serious? That's not shitty, that's probably the best thing I've seen in my life!" he replied. I was going to tell him to quit kidding around, but I looked up at him and he seemed dead serious. "If you think that's shitty, then what do you condiser good?"

"I'll be right back," I said, getting up and walking over to my suitcase. I opened up the front compartment and pulled out a sketckbook I'd had since high school. I flipped to a drawing I'd done recently and spent a lot of time on. of course, it was of Gerard. I walked over and sat back down, holding the book close. I put it down on the table and slid it over to him. He didn't say anything for almost a full minute. Then he touched the page gently and then looked at his fingers, seeing the slight traces of graphite. "What are you doing?"

"I could've sworn that this was a photo and you were trying to prank me," he said, looking up at me, "Can I show this to the guys?"

"Sure," I said. He took the book and walked to the back room, and I followed.

He held up the drawing once we arrived. "What do you guys think?" he asked everyone. They barely looked up.

"It's a, uh, very nice photo, Gerard," said Mikey, "Good angle."

"It's not a photo," Gee replied, "Veronica drew it." This time everyone looked up. I smiled.

"Really?" Frank asked me.

"Yeah," I said, looking down and blushing.

"I didn't believe it at first, either," Gerard said.

"Hey!" Mikey exclaimed, "I have an idea!"

Muahahaha cliffhanger! Read chapter 14 for Mikey's idea!


	14. Pajamas

"That's a first," Frank mumbled. Mikey took off his shoe and threw it at Frank. "Oww..."

"But seriously," Mikey continued, "Veronice, could you draw something for me?"

"I guess I could," I said.

"Awesome! Could you do a portrait of the band?" Mikey asked.

"Sure. Just give me a reference photo and a canvas," I said.

"I could print a photo from my laptop and we could get you a canvas at Michael's or something, if we happen to see one," he replied.

"Awesome!" I said. Then I yawned. "I'm going to bed now."

"But it's only 10:30!" Gee said.

"Well I'm tired," I replied. I went over to my suitcase and searched for some pajamas, to no avail. I knew I had forgotten something..."Shit!" I must've said it pretty loud, because Gerard walked in.

"What's wrong?" he asked, finally handing me my sketchbook.

"I forgot to pack pajamas," I said, tossing the book into my suitcase.

"No problem," he replied, "You can borrow something of mine." He helped me up and led me to his suitcase. He searched for a second, then pulled out an Invader Zim shirt and some drawstring pants and handed them to me.

"I fuckin' love that show!" I said.

"Me too!" he replied.

"What's your favorite episode?" I asked.

"Um... probably Attack of the Saucer Morons," he said.

"Mine too!" I replied.

"Cool," he said. I went into the bathroom to change. The pants were HUGE on me, and I had to pull the drawstring so far that when it hung down, it reached past my knees. The ends of the pants thenselves reached down well past my feet, and the shirt almost fit like a dress. It would have to do, though, because I didn't have anything of my own. I walked out of the bathroom and struck a pose. Gerard laughed. "You look ridiculous."

"I know," I replied sheepishly.

"It doesn't matter though," he said, closing the distance between us. He wrapped one arm around me and then swung my legs up so that he was holding me.

"Um, what was the point of that?" I asked.

"You're tiny. It's fun to carry you," he replied.

"You're a lunatic," I said as he brought me into the bedroom and placed me on his bed. He climbed in after me, still fully clothed. "Um, don't you wanna put on pajamas or anything?"

"Good point," he replied, leaving the bed. He came back in less than a minute, wearing his notorious skeleton pajamas.

"I'm beginning to think you legit collect weird pajamas," I said.

"I do, actually. The guys all think I'm weird, but it's kind of a habit," he replied.

"Oh, I forgot something! I can never fall asleep without my iPod," I said, trying to get out of bed.

He held me back, asking, "What song do you usually listen to at night?"

"Helena," I replied.

"Did you forget that you're with the guy who sings Helena?" he asked.

"What are you trying to say?" I replied.

"I'm trying to say: Would you be so kind as to allow me the great honor of serenading you?" he said. I laid back down next to him and pulled him closer to me.

"Yes," I said, and kissed him on the nose. He whisper-sang the song to me, and I joined in on the chorus. In the second verse, I stopped singing and just kissed him. He kissed me back, and we stayed frozen for what seemed an immeasurable amount of time. I have no idea when I fell asleep after that.

Read chapter 15!


	15. Would you like some coffee with that?

I woke up next to Gerard the next morning. It was still dark out and it didn't sound like anyone else was up. I got out of bed, trying so hard not to disturb Gerard. Then, I heard piano music playing quietly. It was sort of off-tune, but I could still make out the song. It was Blood. I wasled into the back room and saw Mikey, playing the piano (using an app on his iPad). He messed up the notes again. "Fuck!" he said quietly. He looked up, startled to see me. "Oh hi. How long have you been standing there?"

"Only like 5 seconds," I said, "So, you trying to play Blood?"

"Yeah," he replied.

"Here, let me show you," I said, walking over and sitting next to him. He handed the iPad to me and I played the first verse and sang along.

"Do your talents know no bounds?" he asked. I laughed.

"I'm not good at this yet, though. I just learned last year," I replied. He laughed.

"Well I just learned last week," he said, "Um, could you play it again? Slower this time?"

"Yeah," I said, starting over. It finally occurred to me, after about half an hour, to ask "What time is it?"

"Maybe 4:30 or 5," Mikey replied nonchalantly.

"Why are you up so early?" I asked.

"I couldn't sleep," he said. I don't know how, but I could just tell something was wrong. I asked about it."You'll say I'm an idiot if I tell you," he said, half smiling.

"No I won't," I replied.

"Okay. I'm bummed because our coffee maker is broken," he said. I laughed. "It's not funny!" He was laughing too, though.

"Do you wanna go to Starbucks or something?" I asked. Just then, Gerard walked in, smiling.

"I heard 'Starbucks'," he said, "Who's going?"

"Me and Mikerz," I replied, "You wanna come?"

"That's all I needed to hear," he said, leaving for a minute to get dressed. I followed after a moment, and when I walked into the bedroom, he was fully clothed except for a shirt, and he was digging through his suitcase. "Oh hi. Pay no attention to the half-naked man who has no clean shirts." I laughed.

"Wanna borrow one of mine?" I asked. He laughed.

"Nah, I'll just steal one from Ray," he said.

"Steal what from me?" Ray said, crawling out of his bunk.

"A shirt," Gee replied.

"Go take one; I don't care," Ray said, walking into the kitchen.

"3...2...1..." I said.

"Who broke the coffee maker?" Ray shouted, exactly on cue. We laughed.

"I did!" Mikey said, following Ray into the kitchen.

"Mikey! You dipshit!" Ray replied.

"Relax, Ray," Gerard yelled as he began rummaging through Ray's suitcase, "Wanna go to Starbucks with us?"

"Sure," Ray said, walking back into the bedroom, grabbing some clothes, and leaving again. I heard the bathroom door close. Gerard picked up an Iron Maiden t-shirt and put it on. We walked into the kitchen. I saw a folded up piece of paper on the table. Upon a closer look, I saw that it had my name on it.

"What's this?" I asked, picking it up and unfolding it. "Dear Veronica, I'm sorry you had to find out this way, but by the time you read this I'll already be gone. I got a phone call around 1 AM. My mom's dead. The cancer finally got to her. I have to go home and be with my family. I'm sorry. Call me when you get this. Michelle," I read.

Aww *tear*. Read chapter 16!


	16. Starbucks Stalker

"Oh my god," Gerard said. I didn't say anything. A silent tear ran down my cheek. Gerard pulled me into a hug and I rested my head on his shoulder. I sobbed silently. Mikey stood awkwardly off to the side.

Ray came out of the bathroom and said "What's going on?" I could hear the concern in his voice.

"Shut the fuck up," Gerard said. Ray took the ever-so-subtle hint.

"I should probably go call her now," I said, going back into the bedroom and grabbing my cell phone from Gerard's bed, where I had left it the night before. I hit speed dial number 1. Michelle answered on the first ring.

"Hi, V," she said. I could tell by her voice that she had been crying.

"Hey. Where are you?" I asked.

"On a bus, trying to get home," she replied.

"I'm really sorry," I said.

"It's not your fault. But thanks," she replied.

"I'm gonna miss you," I said, "Give your family my regards."

"I will," she said, "Well I gotta go now. I'm almost home."

"Bye," I said.

"I'll miss you," she replied. We hung up and I walked back into the kitchen.

"How'd it go?" Gee asked, "Is she gonna come back?"

"No," I said, "Her family really needs her right now."

"That's okay," he replied, "I guess we can't really expect her to give up her family for us."

"So, Veronica, I'm guessing you don't wanna go to Starbucks anymore...?" Mikey said.

"No, I'm still going," I said, "I need coffee." I smiled and they laughed. I quickly got dressed and then we got off the bus and into Gerard's car. Mikey was about to get in the front seat, but Gerard gave him the evil eye so he got in the back with Ray and let me sit up front. It was sort of funny, in a way.

We were lost within 10 minutes of driving. Ray was playing around with the GPS on his phone, to no avail. Gerard's phone started ringing. He didn't even look at the name on the caller ID; he just pressed 'reject'. A few seconds later, my phone started ringing. I answered with a "Hello?"

"Hey where are you guys?" the person on the other line siad. It was Frank.

"Oh shit! Sorry Frankie! We're on our way to Starbucks," I replied. Everyone in the car started laughing.

"I can't believe we forgot Frank!" Mikey said.

"What street is the place on?" Frank asked.

"Actually, I have no idea," i answered, "We're sort of lost right now."

"Well when you idiots find the place, call me back and I'll meet you there," he replied. I laughed.

"Will do, Frank. Bye," I said.

"Adios!" he replied. We hung up.

"Okay, this is getting ridiculous," I said, going online on my phone and going to Google Maps. I typed the name of the street we were on and a map came up. I searched "Starbucks" and a red dot popped up on the map, about 4 blocks from where we were. I gave Gee the directions, then texted Frank the address. He texted back "ok im on my way".

We got out of the car (Gerard got out quickly and ran to the passenger side to open the door for me. Such a gentleman). We went inside and we were almost the only ones there (there was an old man typing something on his laptop in the corner). Of course, the guys got recognized by the goth chick behind the counter, and she squealed so loud it hurt my ears. Then it was autographs, photos, the whole 9 yards. She was really into Gerard and kept finding excuses to get closer to him, but he would always glance at me and smile, and then he would subtly take a step away from her. It must've been half an hour before she finally took our orders. While we were waiting, Frank walked in. Of course he had to make a show of it. he started to say, "The future is bulletproof, the aftermath is secondary! It's time to- hey!" Mikey had taken a playful swing at him, but missed. Then the bitch- I mean girl- finally brought our coffee, and started freaking out again because Frank was there. The rest of us started walking over to a table, and I whispered "Good luck." to Frank. He gave me a look as if to say "She's that bad?" I nodded in response. Ray and Mikey sat at a table with 3 chairs, saving a seat for Frank. Gee and I sat at a 2-chair table on the other side of the room. He sipped his mocha latte, getting a whipped cream mustache. I laughed. At first he looked at me like I was insane, but then noticed and licked it off and laughed with me. The urge to kiss him was so strong that I couldn't resist. I scooted my chair closer to his side of the table and leaned in. He met me halfway and our lips touched.

Suddenly, I felt that feeling you get when you're being watched. I figured it was just the guys staring. I broke the kiss to turn around and sure enough, there they were. "Do you mind?" Gee said to them. They laughed and looked away. Yet, I still felt like I was being watched when we began kissing again. I decided I was just being stupid, but then Gerard broke the kiss. I looked at him questioningly and he gave me a look that said "Turn around." so I did. We were being watched, by the girl from behind the counter. She looked like she was on the verge of tears.

"Awk..." I said, slowly scooting away. The girl must have noticed us looking at her, because she blinked and walked away.

"Maybe we should go..." Gee said.

"Yeah... we still need to go to Michael's to get me a canvas for that drawing," I replied.

"Oh shit, yeah!" he said. We went and got the guys and piled back into Gerard's car, and I searched Google Maps for a Michael's. The nearest one was 7 miles away. No one seemed to mind, though, so we set off, with Frank driving behind us.

Hehehe this isn't the only time they'll be seeing the Starbucks girl... read chapter 17!


	17. I know I'm awesome

We pulled into the parking lot and Gee and I got out of the car. The rest of the guys said they would wait for us. Gerard and I held hands as we walked into the store. Basically all franchise stores are alid out the same, and I had been in this place (well not this very place, but a different Michael's) too many times to count, so I knew where the canvas was. I led Gee over to that iasle. "Wait, shit! What size did Mikey want the portrait?" I asked.

"Uh... he didn't say," Gerard replied. I took out my phone and called Mikey. I asked him the same thing and he said he didn't care. I hung up and chose a 2x3 canvas. It must've been a damn good quality canvas, because it was 35 bucks. We went up to the cash register and I knew Gerard would insist on paying, so I pointed out something off in the distance and paid when he wasn't looking. He eventually noticed. "Damn you!" He was smiling. I shrugged and smiled back.

We went back out to the car, got in, and drove back to the bus. It was pretty uneventful except that Gerard held my hand the whole time. Not long after we got on the bus, the guys' manager called Gerard, who answered with a "Hey, what's up?" I couldn't hear the other side of the conversation, only Gee's.

"Yeah..."

"What? When?"

"And you weren't even going to tell me until-"

"Well what the hell are we supposed to do now?"

"What do you mean? I can't just-"

"So what?"

"I don't know, it's kind of on short notice..."

"Fine! I'll ask her if it'll make you shut the fuck up."

"Bye."

"What was that about?" I asked.

"Our show dancer just quit," Gee said, sadly.

"Aw, bummer," I replied.

"But... well... our manager knows you're a dancer and wanted me to ask you if you would do it?" It came out sounding more like a question than a statement.

"Yeah, I would, but I don't know any of the choreography," I replied.

"It doesn't matter, just use stuff from dances you already know or even freestyle if you want," he said. How could I say no to that?

"Well what am I supposed to wear?" I asked. He looked me over and thought for a second.

"Well, you're a bit smaller than she was, but you should be fine in one of her costumes. They're kept backstage," he replied.

"Well..." he looked hopeful as I said this, "You seem to have given me no reason to say no..."

"YES!" he said, jumping up and pumping his fist in the air. He hugged me. "You're the best!"

"I know," I jokingly replied.

"By the way, the show's tonight," he said. Ohh shit... what have I gotten myself into?

Chapter 18 is where it gets weird... don't read if you're not into weird stuff. I'm being serious.


	18. I never thought this would happen again

It was nearly time for the show to start and I was scared shitless. Sure, I had danced for music videos that millions of people saw, but I had choreography for those, and at the time of filming, only the people behind the camera were watching. And if I made a mistake it wouldn't matter because we could just reshoot that part. This was in front of a live audience of over 100,000 people, I had no choreography, and if I messed up I was screwed. There was no time to be nervous now, though, I had to do everyone's makeup. Just foundation for Ray, foundation and eyeliner for Mikey, foundation and X's over the eyes for Frank, and foundation, eye shadow, eyeliner, and a scar for Gerard. The scar was easier to make now, seeing as I had bought a red eyeliner pencil. And then Mikey wanted me to straighten his hair, then so did Frank... God these people wear me out...

Before I knew it we were standing backstage, 30 seconds to showtime. I was in a costume, which was kind of big on me (Gerard hadn't been kidding when he said I was smaller than the other girl), but I had safety-pinned it all down my back so that it wasn't so loose. I still felt insecure, though, because the costume was practically a bikini. I knew they shouldn't be, but the thoughts were coming back.

Let me explain: I used to be anorexic. I was deemed well enough to get out of the hospital almost a year ago. Nobody ever knew except my family and Michelle. Everyone had been really supportive, and I really believed I would never relapse again. I still had almost no self-confidence, though, especially in this costume. Oh god... I'll walk out on stage and everyone will think, 'Ew! She looks disgusting!' I honestly tried as hard as I could to suppress these thoughts, but they wouldn't go away. I'm having a relapse.

I didn't really have time to think, though, because the stage manager told us it was time to go on. Gerard grabbed my hand and led me onto the stage after the rest of the guys. The crowd let out a cheer. This should be one of the happiest moments of my life, but I feel like breaking down and crying...

Read chapter 19 to hear more about Veronica's secret!


	19. My Relapse

I couldn't focus on the show. I put myself on autopilot, blankly dancing moves I had practiced hundreds of times before. My mind was preoccupied the whole time with forbidden thoughts: I look disgusting! What can I do to cover myself up?

This went on for the whole show. Afterwards, I went backstage and changed into my normal clothes without a word to anyone. Same thing on the way back to the bus. I went straight to the bathroom and looked at myself in the mirror, something I'd always hated doing. I saw a fat girl staring back at me.

I rummaged through every cabinet until I found a scale. I took it out, placed it on the ground, and stepped onto it. It read 90.3. I made it my mission to see a change in those numbers. I carefully returned the scale to its place and exited the bathroom. I walked into the back room, where Gerard and the rest of the guys were sitting around and watching TV. "Hey," I said.

"Hi," they replied, almost in unison. Gerard got up from his place on the couch, walked over to me, and enveloped me in a hug.

"You did a great job tonight," he whispered.

"Thanks, you too," I replied. He let go of me.

"You must be starving; do you wanna go out to dinner?" he asked. I cringed a little at the word 'starving'.

"Nah, I'm not hungry," I lied, not looking him in the eyes. I prayed that my stomach growling wouldn't give me away. I looked up at him after a second; he had a look of concern on his face. He took my hand and led me through the bedroom and into the kitchen.

He sat down at the table and I sat across from him. "Okay, tell me what's wrong," he said.

"What are you talking about? Nothing's wrong," I replied. Another lie.

"Don't give me that 'nothing's wrong' bullshit. I can tell something's obviously wrong. You can trust me," he pried. I had to make something up, and quick.

"I'm still sad about Michelle leaving," I said. It's not that I wasn't, it's just not what was on my mind at the time.

"Oh. Well, I guess that's to be expected," he replied, totally buying it, "But please, if you ever need someone to talk to or a shoulder to cry on, you can always come to me." He reached across the table and took my hands in his.

I still couldn't look him in the eyes as I said, "Okay, I will. I'm just kinda tired right now; I'm going to bed." With that, I got up and walked away. I felt like shit for lying to Gerard, but I couldn't tell him the truth…

I know a relapse doesn't really happen this fast (experience), but I had to accelerate it for the story. Read chapter 20 please.


	20. I'm an idiot

I felt Gee's eyes on my back as I left the room. I knew he could tell something deeper was wrong, but he didn't say anything. In the bedroom, I silently changed into my pajamas and got into Gerard's bed.

I was almost asleep, but I still heard him walk in from the kitchen, felt him kiss me on the cheek, and heard him depart into the back room. That made me feel even worse. I couldn't

stand hiding this from him, but what would happen if I told him? I couldn't stop the tears as they began to fall from my eyes. I guess you could say I cried myself to sleep that night.

I awoke with Gerard beside me. I could see light pouring through the window in the kitchen. I felt Gee's arms around me. I carefully slipped out of them and made my way to the bathroom. I took out the scale again and stepped on it.

90.2. I had lost one tenth of a pound. Not good enough. Not nearly. There was no way I was going to eat breakfast, so instead I went to my suitcase and picked out a pair of yoga pants, a loose t-shirt, and some tennis shoes. I go changed and went outside, figuring I'd start my workout early. The ground wasn't muddy, thank god, so I could tumble. I started off easy with just a round off back handspring. Then I moved on to tucks, layouts, fulls, double fulls...

After a while, Gerard must've noticed that I wasn't on the bus, because he came outside looking for me. I walked over to him and gave him a good morning kiss. "What are you doing out here?" he asked.

"Just a little tumbling," I replied.

"Ooh, fancy," he said. I laughed.

"Wanna see my best pass?" I asked.

"Sure," he replied, "Don't hurt yourself."

"Don't worry," I said, backing up a few feet. I took a deep breath and did a front tuck round off back handspring double full. I didn't stick it but I didn't fall over. I knew it wasn't the best I could have done. Gerard smiled and applauded. "Why are you clapping? That was absolute shit!"

"You know it wasn't," he replied, smiling. I walked back over to him. "It's freezing out here! Aren't you cold?"

"Already frozen," I said truthfully.

"Then what are you doing out here?! Let's go inside!" he replied. I giggled and allowed him to lead me back onto the bus.


	21. He's smarter than he looks

The guys didn't have another concert for 4 days, so we just hung out on the bus for most of that time. I stayed dedicated, not eating at all on the first day, eating only an apple on the second day, and trying not to eat on the third day, which it was now. That morning, the scale read 86.8. I didn't know exactly what my goal was, but I knew 86.8 wasn't good enough. Little did I know w

hat would happen later that day.

It started off like normal, just hanging out with the guys. Later, I started feeling a little sick; just a headache. It got worse as the day went on, and I started feeling dizzy too. Frank even mentioned that I looked paler than usual. Eventually, Gerard pulled me aside.

"I'm not stupid, you know," he said, not even the slightest hint of a smile on his face.

"What?" I asked, caught off guard.

"I can't believe you thought I wouldn't notice," he continued.

"Notice what?" I followed up.

"Don't pretend you don't know. Every day, you've told me you ate breakfast before I got up but that wasn't true. You say you're not hungry and then I hear your stomach growl. You're noticeably paler and you look thinner," he said.

"I've just been sick, that's all," I replied.

"I know you've been using the scale too, Veronica," Gee said, "I know what's going on."

"Then what's supposedly going on?" I asked.

"You're... anorexic," he replied, finally looking me in the eyes. I could see he hurt in them. I was about to follow up when the dizziness took over and I passed out, falling forward into Gerard's arms.


	22. Madwoman

I woke up after what seemed like only a couple minutes. I was laying on the couch; Gerard must've put me there. The guys were crowded around me but they hadn't yet noticed that I was awake, so I kept my eyes closed and listened to their conversation.

The guys were telling Gerard that they had also noticed the changes in me, and they started discussing what to do about it. As soon as

I heard them mention the hospital, my eyes shot open and I stood up. "No fucking way! I am _not_ going to stand by while you dump me off in a mental ward!" I yelled.

"It's for your own good," said Frank.

"No it's not! Their treatments never work anyway. All they do is force-feed you and let you out a month later when they think you're 'healthy' enough, but then you just relapse! No matter how much you really try to recover, you always relapse and then you're back to square one!" I replied, bursting into tears.

"So... this has happened before?" Ray asked.

"Four times," I choked out. I didn't look at the guys, but I could sense that they were shocked. Suddenly, I felt a pair of warm arms around my waist. Without even a glance, I knew it was Gerard. I embraced him and buried my face in his shoulder.

"How about this," he started, "We won't make you go to the hospital, but you have to start eating like a normal person. And we _will _be watching, so don't try to get out of it."

"Fine," I replied, the tears finally drying up. I finally looked up at him. "Sorry, by the way."

"For what?" he asked, looking confused.

"For getting your shirt all wet," I replied.

"Of course you wouldn't apologize for doing this to yourself or for putting us through all this worry, but you would for getting tears on my shirt," he said, smiling weakly. I smiled back.

"Yup. You know that even if you brutally murdered me, I would use my last dying breath to apologize for getting my blood on you," I replied.

"You're a madwoman," he said.

"I know," I replied. He leaned in and kissed me and I didn't hesitate to return it. The rest of the guys walked out of the room to give us some alone time.


	23. The Note

Mikey walked in again after a minute, holding an envelope. "By the way, Veronica, this came for you earlier," he said, handing it to me.

"Thanks," I replied. Mikey left the room and Gerard followed, leaving me alone to open my letter. There was no return address on the envelope... weird. I opened it and found a typed note inside that said: "Hello, Veronica. I bet you think you've got

Gerard all to yourself. Well you're sadly mistaken, because he's mine. He just doesn't know it yet. Unfortunately, you stand in the way of this, and that's why I have to kill you. But if you tell anyone about this, I'll have to kill Gerard too. Wouldn't that be a shame?"

After reading the note, I couldn't believe that it really said that, so I read it over and over again. Was it some kind if sick joke? No, nobody would be that heartless. When reality finally set in, the note fell from my hands and onto the floor. I couldn't tell anyone about this. Since it was inevitable that I would be killed, I saw no reason to take Gerard down with me. I reasoned that if I die, it'll disappoint maybe 7 people at the absolute most, but if Gerard dies, it will disappoint millions of people. All I could do was wait and make the most of the time I had left.


	24. This is the end

I'd become paranoid since receiving the note. It had been a few days and nothing had happened. I knew it was coming, though. The only two things I would leave the bus for were concerts and Starbucks. At least I had a lot of time to work on the portrait. I was almost halfway done now, seeing as Mikey had given me a pretty easy photo.

The girl at Starbucks knew our orders by heart now,

and whenever she saw us walk in, she would immediately get us what she called "the usual". I could tell she didn't like me after she saw Gee and I kissing for the first time, but she had been a little nicer lately. Almost as if she knew I would be gone soon.

Anyway, on this particular day, I knew something was off. I could feel that it was coming. Sure enough, that night around 11:00 (the guys were all sleeping because that day's concert had been especially tiring) as I was laying awake next to Gerard, I heard a noise coming from the kitchen. I knew exactly what it was. I slipped out of bed noiselessly and made my way to the kitchen, where I saw someone climbing in through the window. I couldn't see who it was, but I knew it was my killer. I was calm and scared out of my mind at the same time. The person was now standing in front of me and I could see their face. It was the Starbucks girl. "I don't care if you kill me, just don't hurt Gerard. Please," I said. She pulled out a pocket knife and flicked the small blade up.

Wait a second! If that was the only weapon she had, I could take her! I kicked her foot out from under her, causing her to fall and he knife to fly across the room. She let out a startled cry. I almost had her pinned when Ray walked in, probably to see what all the racket was. Without my even needing to say anything, he dashed over to help me. He grabbed the girl and pulled her arms behind her back. She tried to fight but he was too strong.

The rest of the guys were up now, standing in the doorway. Frank had picked up the knife to keep it away from the girl and Mikey was on his cell phone, calling 911. I fled to Gerard, half hugging him and half hiding behind him. Just then, the girl kicked Ray in the balls. He fell over, letting go of her. She ran to Frank and tried to get her knife back, but Gerard grabbed her, keeping her immobilized. Ray was up from the ground by now, and he helped subdue her. The police arrived a few minutes later and took her away. They asked all of us a bunch of questions, and they were about to leave when I spoke up, "Wait! There's something I didn't tell you."

I told them the whole story and even gave them the note. The whole thing took about an hour to explain, and then the police left. I let out a sigh of relief, thinking it was all over.

"Veronica..." Gerard chimed in. Oh no. I'm screwed.


	25. It's not over

"Why didn't you tell me about the note?" he continued, looking a little hurt.

"It said that if I told anyone, they would kill both of us. Since it was a given that I was going to be killed, I saw no need to take you down with me," I said, looking at the ground.

He pulled me into a tight hug and whispered, "I don't care, Veronica. I love you more than life. And I could've done someth

ing about it so that psycho never would've gotten this close to you." I started silently crying.

"But imagine if I'd told you and we both got killed. Do you know how many people would blame me? All your fans would hate me," I replied.

"Why the hell would they blame you?" he asked.

"People are irrational sometimes," I said. He didn't reply; instead he hugged me tighter and we stayed there until the tears passed. After a while, he led me inside. We just chilled out and tried to calm down from what happened, since there was no way we'd be able to fall asleep again.

Then my phone started vibrating in my pocket. I pulled it out and saw Michelle's dad's name on the caller ID. I answered, "Hi, Mr. Chang. What's up?"

"I have to tell you something. It's about Michelle," he replied. His tone was serious.

"What is it?" I asked.


	26. Melancholy

"Michelle didn't come home," Mr. Chang replied, "When she found out her mom died, she committed suicide."

"Wh-what?" I stuttered.

"She- well, I'd rather not say how she died, but she's gone, Veronica. The funeral's tomorrow," he said. It didn't really settle in my mind.

"I... I'm in Denver right now... I won't be able to make it," I replied blankly.

"Oh. Okay, well... I have to go

finish the arrangements," he said. With that, he hung up on me before I could even say goodbye. I just sat there, wide-eyed and open-mouthed, still holding he phone to my ear, listening to the dial tone. Gerard waved his hand in front of my face and I lowered the phone slowly. My facial expression didn't change, but I felt a single tear run down my cheek.

"What's wrong?" Gee asked.

The only response I could choke out was, "Michelle... Suicide..." Then I started bawling. The rest of the guys took that as their cue to leave. Gerard understood what I was trying to say, even though I had only managed two words. He put one arm around my shoulders and the other around my waist and pulled me onto his lap. I rested my head on his shoulder and cried until I had no tears left. We must've stayed like that for more than an hour, but Gerard's efforts to comfort me never ceased. He watched me vigilantly and whenever a tear fell from my eye, he would wipe it away. When the tears stopped, he began playing with my hair, twirling it through his fingers. It distracted me effectively, but only a little.

After a while, he finally said, "You okay?" My throat felt tight, so I just shook my head. He started singing to me softly. I recognized the song as On Melancholy Hill. I smiled a little.

"There's the Veronica I know," Gee said. My smile grew and I squirmed out of his grip so I could put my arms around him. His arms snaked around my waist as he pulled me closer. How could I possibly be sad around him?


	27. Day Off

After Michelle died, I got really depressed. I wouldn't talk to anyone except Gerard for days. The guys all understood that it wasn't personal, though. They all continued watching me, to make sure I was eating. I had to, for their sake, but not much.

The next stop on the tour was Miami, Florida. It took two days to get there, and I was still sad when we arrived. The guys must've gotten tired of seeing me like that, because one day Gee came up to me and said, "Guess what!" He was really excited.

"Hmm?" I asked halfheartedly.

"I cancelled tonight's show!" he said.

"What?! Why would you do that?" I asked. He effectively had my attention now.

"Because all of us are going to the beach today," he replied. He knew I was going to protest, so he added, "Don't even try to get out of it."

About an hour later, we were getting off the bus near a white sand beach. I was wearing my bikini from last summer with a t-shirt over it, and all the guys were wearing swim trunks and t-shirts. (I had no idea where he could have gotten them, but Gee's swim trunks were black with skulls on them.) We were each carrying a beach towel and Gerard was holding my hand. As soon as we stepped onto the sand, Frank dropped his towel and took off running like a madman toward the water. He stopped when he reached the edge, with only his feet in the water. I finally saw my golden opportunity to take my revenge on Frank for the night that he tackled me. I whispered my plan to Gerard, who smiled and said, "Go for it!" I let go of his hand and took off running at Frank.

"Revenge!" I yelled as I jumped onto his back. To my dismay, he staggered a little but didn't fall.

"Trying to knock me down, huh?" he asked, laughing, "Hate to break it to you, but that'll never happen!" I got off of him and looked back at Gerard, smiling deviously. He got the message. Gerard ran up and tackled Frank, effectively knocking him over.

"Maybe she can't, but I can!" Gee exclaimed, rolling off of Frank. I helped Gerard up.

"Come in the water with me!" I said.

"Aren't you gonna take your shirt off?" he asked.

"When you take yours off!" I replied. He obliged, taking off his shirt and throwing it to the side. I did the same and we ran into the ocean, leaving Frank still sitting on the ground. We joined Mikey and Ray, who were already in the water, for a splash fight. Frank joined in after us. We called a truce after a while and then someone, I forget who, suggested that we play chicken.

We went to a place where the water was a little deeper. Gerard made me get on his shoulders as Frank got on Mikey's. Ray yelled, "Go!" I knocked Frank down within a matter of seconds.

"Damn! For a little thing, she's pretty strong," said Frank. I smiled.

Gerard and I were unstoppable. He never let me fall once. Then he decided to pair up with Mikey, leaving me to pair up with Frank. Frank and I won. Then he paired up with Gerard and I paired up with Mikey. After Mikey and I won, I said, "Okay, I've gone up every single time, now someone has to get on my shoulders."

Almost simultaneously, all the guys yelled, "Not it!" I gave them an oh-come-on look and put my hands on my hips.

Frank pushed Mikey forward and said, "Mikey's the smallest, he'll do it!"

"No!" Mikey exclaimed, "I'd break her!"

"I'm stronger than I look," I countered, "And you're not going to win this argument anyway, so save yourself five minutes and just do it." He sighed but didn't bother to argue. I smiled triumphantly and ducked under the water. I felt Mikey get into place and I stood up. Frank was already up on Ray's shoulders.

"Go!" Gerard yelled. Frank pushed Mikey lightly and it was enough to send me falling backwards, dropping Mikey.

"Sorry," I said to him.

"It's alright," he replied.

"Hey!" Frank interjected, "Gerard hasn't gone up yet!"

"Fuck..." Gee muttered as Mikey ducked under the water. He reluctantly went up on Mikey's shoulders as I went up on Frank's. Once our eyes were at the same level, I winked at Gerard. He looked puzzled at first, but then caught on. He pushed me as lightly as possible and I fell back on purpose. Everyone knew without saying that I'd let him win, though. Then Gerard and I paired up again and won a few more rounds.

After a while, I said, "I'm tired of beating your sorry asses, let's go do something else." The guys giggled.

"We could build a sand castle," Mikey suggested.

"Awesomesauce!" Frank exclaimed before taking off running toward the beach. We all followed.

We spent the next hour building the most epic sand castle ever. It was almost as tall as me and ornately detailed.

Later, Gerard and I decided to go back in the water. "Go ahead, I'll be right there," he said to me. I was a little puzzled, but I went. I waited at the edge of the water while he whispered something to the guys, who were giggling and nodding. They parted ways after a minute and Gerard ran over to where I was. He grabbed my hand and led me to a place where the water was so deep that I had to stand on my toes. Then he picked me up so that our faces were at the same level. I'm not sure who initiated the kiss, but it was long, passionate, and electrifying. After a while, he suggested we go hang out with the guys back on the beach. We walked over to where we had laid out our towels. He laid down on his and I laid on mine next to him… but something didn't feel right… Suddenly, a pair of arms came out from underneath me, one on each side, wrapping around me. I screamed and looked back to find Frank, who had apparently been buried under my towel. He and the rest of the guys were laughing. So this was what they were discussing back there…

The sun was beginning to set by that point, so we all agreed it was time to go back to the bus. As we were walking there, I realized something. Today I had really acted like my old self… and loved every minute of it.


	28. A Perfect Ending to a Perfect Day

As we made our way back to the bus, Gerard and I hand in hand, Mikey said, "Looks like you're back to normal, V."

"I guess so," I replied, "And thanks for everything, guys."

"No problem," said Ray. We boarded the bus, all of us still soaking wet and caked with sand.

"I call first shower!" I said.

"Fuck! I was gonna say that…" Frank trailed off. I snickered as I walked into the bathroom. I showered fairly quickly, compared to how long I usually take. I didn't want to use up all the hot water. As I got out, I realized I had forgotten to bring a change of clothes. I wrapped a towel around myself and opened the door a crack.

"Everyone close your eyes; I'm coming out in just a towel for a second!" I called. The guys mumbled a reply from the kitchen, and when I peeked out they all had their eyes closed. I scurried over to my suitcase, grabbed the first clean clothes I saw, and then ran back to the bathroom. Once I was inside with the door open just a crack, I yelled, "All clear!"

After I finished up, Frank took his turn. I sat at the kitchen table with the rest of the guys, who were debating about some video game. I stared off into space and just thought. I remembered it was June 21st and… oh shit, my birthday was in two days. I hoped the guys didn't know. I didn't want them making a fuss over it, and I definitely didn't want any presents. Well, I'd never told them and they'd never asked, so I figured they didn't know.

Then I heard someone mention Mario Kart, so I joined the debate. Frank came out of the bathroom soon after, and the rest of the guys took turns. We spent the rest of the evening talking about anything and everything, not going to bet until around 1 AM. All things considered, it was a pretty awesome day.


	29. Happy Birthday to me

It was now Sunday, the day of my birthday. I thought I was in the clear, but I was sadly mistaken. I awoke that morning to Frank tapping on my shoulder. I opened my eyes slowly, squinting a little as they adjusted to the light. I saw all the guys standing beside the bed, smiling. "Happy birthday!" they said in unison.

"Fuck! How'd you know?" I asked.

"I was creeping on your Facebook and I just happened to come across it," Gerard answered.

"You know," I said, getting out of bed, "There's a reason I didn't tell you."

"Save that for later," Frank replied, "Right now it's time for you to open presents!"

"That would be the reason," I stated, "I didn't want you guys making a fuss over it. Today is just another one of the 365 normal days of the year."

"You are not allowed to object," Gerard said.

"But-" I began.

"Overruled," he interrupted. He took my hand and led me into the back room, where five wrapped boxes laid in a pile on the floor. I sighed, knowing I would just be interrupted again if I tried to say anything else. We all sat down in a circle and I picked up one of the presents. The tag indicated that it was from Frank. I opened it carefully and pulled out a black leather jacket. Upon a closer look at the tag, I was relieved to discover that it wasn't real leather. (I'm kind of an animal rights freak.)

I crawled across the circle and hugged Frank. "Thanks," I whispered in his ear.

"No prob," he replied, smiling. I moved back to my place and picked up the next present, which was from Mikey. I opened it to find that it was a flat iron, the same kind that he had, only a different color. I looked up at him and he was smiling.

"I told you I'd get you one for your birthday," he said.

"But didn't you say it cost-" I started.

"Hey! Gee said you're not allowed to object," Mikey interrupted.

"Fine," I replied, "Am I allowed to give you a hug?"

"Yes," Mikey said. We both got up and met halfway across the circle in an embrace.

"Thank you," I said to him.

"You're welcome," he replied. We sat down again and I picked up another present; this one was from Ray. I opened the small box and found a Hot Topic gift card inside. The price on the back read $100. I must've looked really surprised, because Ray giggled and Gerard gave me that you're-not-allowed-to-object look. I got up and hugged Ray. When I sat down again, I made sure to get a little closer to Gerard because I knew the next present was from him. I picked up the smaller of the two remaining boxes and opened it. Inside was a promise ring. It wasn't the ordinary kind that you can get for $50, though. It was ornately detailed, lined with small diamonds and a ruby, and had "V+G" engraved inside the band. I smiled and put it on. Then I crawled onto Gee's lap and hugged him.

"You are the most awesomely awesome boyfriend ever," I said, "Thank you."

He smiled and replied, "You're welcome." I remembered there was still one present left, so I let go of Gerard and moved back to my place next to him. The tag on the last gift said "from The Birthday Fairy". I tore off the paper to find a six pack of beer.

"What the hell?" I asked. Everyone laughed.

"It's because you're 21," Frank elaborated. I smiled and handed everyone a beer.

"Well then cheers to my birthday!" I said, opening my beer and taking a sip. I cringed slightly at the strong taste of alcohol. I had already known I didn't like beer. Gerard glanced at me and smirked.

"By the way," Mikey interjected, "We have a show later today."

"How lovely, a concert on my birthday," I said sarcastically.

"It'll be fun, I promise," Gerard replied. I smiled. Maybe this wouldn't be so bad after all.


End file.
